


A Place To Rest

by mutantleech



Category: His Dark Materials (TV)
Genre: Fix-It, Found Family, Healing, John treats him like the precious jewel that he is, Lee and John live, Lee deserves everything that is good in this world, Lee is lyra's dad fight me, M/M, Not book 3 compliant, Series 2 Fix-It, no book 3 spoilers, step parenting, two men talking about their feelings and healing in the middle of the woods
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-31
Updated: 2020-12-31
Packaged: 2021-03-11 04:01:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,678
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28458696
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mutantleech/pseuds/mutantleech
Summary: Seraphina arrives in time, Lee is healed, and John is never attacked on the hill.A month after the war against the Authority is over, John invites Lee over to his cabin. They talk, heal and build together.
Relationships: John Parry/Lee Scoresby
Comments: 52
Kudos: 124
Collections: John Parry and Lee Scoresby





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello friends! I was shocked to find out that there were other Parsby shippers out there! Tumblr is a wonderful source of knowledge.  
> I've never shipped a rare ship before, so I thought I'd offer my meager contribution to the fandom, so that we have more Parsby content <3
> 
> Some notes:  
> -Normally, I would never split a fic so small into 2 chapters. But this fic organically evolved to be half in John's POV and half in Lee's. Aka chapter 1 and 2.  
> -This was meant to be a 2k fic based on a tumblr post........... jokes on me I guess lol  
> -I don't have a beta, so just bear with me and my typos.
> 
> Regarding canon:  
> While I have read the books, it was 15 years ago and I remember very little. I purposefully chose to omit any important/key information that I do remember from book 3, because I don't want to spoil it for anyone.  
> So rest assured: any reference to how the war ended, etc has been extrapolated on from season 2, and no book 3 things are in here. <3

It hadn't even been his fight.

It had been Lord Asriel's and, ultimately, Lyra's. And, ultimately, _everyone's_.

Whatever it had been- it was over now.

So much blood spilled and so many lives lost, but if John is selfish enough to think about it, he can almost forgive himself for how he failed. Because if the witches were right, he had been a pawn in a prophecy as old as time, much as everyone else.

But when the dust settled and his strong, capable son rose from the ashes of his own burdens – a man in his own right – John couldn't ignore his guilt.

That Will had become someone as worthy as the Knife Bearer- it had all been in spite of John's abandonment, not because of it. And so, he had amends to make.

Will had cut a window into the air, bending universes to his command as though it were nothing – and, by the gods, it'd filled John with pride – and they had stepped into Oxford, Will's Oxford, side by side.

It isn't John's Oxford anymore. It isn't his world anymore, either.

Sayan Kötör had taken to the skies, hiding herself among the birds of this modern England, but there was no hiding a giant Osprey among Robins and Goldfinches. And there was no hiding a worlds-travelling Shaman among businessmen and professors.

Will had stopped in front of his house – it had been John's house too, in another life – and he had looked at John, wise beyond his years.

"I don't want her to see you," he'd said.

John had looked at him, looked at the bay windows where he could see a faint shadow of a person sitting in the living room. "Because I won't stay?"

Will breathed in and out heavily. "She already lost you once. I don't think she's ever coming back from…" he never finished the sentence, but John had understood.

So Will had seen her alone and when he'd come back, the two of them went to the solicitor's office. John had produced his old passport, completely covered in dust and smudged almost beyond recognition. But it had been enough, and the trust was done with, and she would be taken care of, forever.

"It's not a goodbye… is it?" Will had asked, once he sliced their way back home. _Home_.

"Never," John had told him. He'd grasped at his shoulders and then let one of his hands hold the back of his son's neck. "I failed when I couldn't find my way back to you, but you? You found your way to me. Whenever you need me, I will be there."

And they had hugged, and John drew him a map of the Yenisei River and told him, "Here. Where you can always find me."

Then, they had parted ways because Will had so much he needed to settle with many different people. Witches and humans and bears alike. John reckoned he'd be finding his way back to Jordan college, soon. Maybe Will's Oxford wasn't this one, either.

–

When he returns to his cabin, it is as he left it, a complete clutter of books, artifacts and total silence.

They don't call to him as they used to – his travels and his work had once filled him with purpose, when all he'd needed was something to fill the void that his family had left behind. But after all the war and death and reuniting with Will, John just feels exhausted.

"When was the last time we just- stopped?" Sayan asks, and he hears the flutter of her wings as she settles on his bed.

He sighs and his whole body sighs with him; his shoulders feel heavy all of a sudden. He ruffles his hair and looks at her. "When have we ever had time?"

She inclines her head. "We have all the time in the world, now."

And they do, don't they?

He does nothing for the firs time in years. He lies on his bed, and stares at the ceiling, and runs his hands through Sayan's feathers as she lays on his chest. When he gets bored of the sunlight, he calls for rain and then it pours for days.

When the rain settles, weeds pop up all over the yard, and he takes to pulling them out. They'll just grow again, he knows. It's not even a garden, he knows. But it's something to do with his hands.

It's nighttime and the still of the cabin deafens him, he reaches for bacon to add it to his sandwich and just stands there, staring at it. Sayan doesn't care that he's trying not to think about-

"You miss him," she says. It sounds like an accusation.

"He's with his people."

She scoffs. "Please, he's an aeronaut. The only person more nomadic than he is, is you."

He adds butter to the sides of his bread just as he had done for Lee, all those months ago.

"What do you want me to do, Sayan? Summon him?"

She stares at him and then inclines her head to the side.

He looks away from her and flips his sandwich. "He's not a wanted man anymore. He's free to go anywhere he wants to, now. And you think he's going to come here? To this cramped cabin in the middle of the woods? To do what?"

"I think you won't know until you ask him."

He doesn't say anything to that.

Sayan then flaps her wings all over the kitchen utensils and finds a perch just above his stove.

"You spent _months_ fighting by his side, what do you think he wants?"

John closes his eyes and huffs in annoyance. But there's no point arguing with someone who is, in fact, himself.

What does Lee want? _Family_. Family is what he wants. Lyra's safety. Her happiness. Thankfully, he has all of those now.

John can imagine the flash of his wide smile, him running with Hester at his heels, making ridiculous jokes even in the middle of a great battle. _Adventure_. Lee wants that, as well. He's a traveler at heart, just like John is.

But John wonders if he's tired, too.

And maybe it doesn't need to be that complicated. Maybe this will be a place to recharge, a place to bond over their growing children, and a place to rest before going their separate ways. Yeah. He can offer that. He can be a pit-stop in Lee's life if Lee wants one.

"Ok," he says but he's proud, so he doesn't look at her. "I'll see what I can do."

–

Really, she's the one who has to fetch them.

All John does is hold the ring that Lee had given back to him – " _What if you need me?_ " he had said – and call his friend's name.

And then he waits.

He putters around the cabin and tries to make it slightly more presentable. He travels to the village nearby and gets extra food and some of the really good wine. He makeshifts blankets into a cot on the floor and figures that Lee can take the bed. He rolls the blankets away when he realizes he's already assuming Lee will stay for any period of time. He isn't even sure he's coming.

But it's a week later and the day is bright, and there's a knock at his door.

"Mr. Jopari!" Lee exclaims when John opens it.

He's standing there, looking exactly how John had seen him a month ago, but even lighter – his wide, open smile, his cowboy hat tipped to the side, and a bouncing Hester at his feet.

"It's John, please."

"John," he corrects, inclining his head. And it's weird to hear him say it. "Sayan didn't say what you wanted me for. Is everythin' alright?"

John looks at her, perched up on the roof as if she can hide from him. "All's fine, Mr. Scoresby-"

"If you're John to me, then I'm Lee to you."

"Right. Lee, then." John clears his throat. He's been 'Lee' in his head for months now. "I didn't really mean to summon you, per say. It was meant more as an invitation."

One of the corners of Lee's smile twitches up a bit more. "Commiserating about life, now, are we?"

John huffs a smile back. "Something like that."

"Well, I got just the thing for it," Lee says, but he's turning around. "Parked the balloon closer this time, didn't know if I'd be droppin' by for a proper visit. Let me go get it – best mead you'll ever taste, I promise."

He starts making long strides towards the back of the house, but Hester lingers behind on John's doorstep. She looks up at him with those large, brown eyes and holds her paws together, looking for all the world like the uncertain hare she is.

"Sayan told me you missed him," she says, and it's strange to hear her address him directly.

He opens his mouth, thinks of what to say, but then exhales tiredly and gives her a huffed smile. "Yeah. I did."

It's obvious when she feels the stretch of her bond with Lee because she gives a little jump and starts hopping over towards the same path he'd taken. She stops just as she's about to disappear behind the house and looks back at him.

"He missed you, too."

–

"…and Lyra pops out of the cupboard, and the poor woman just drops the entire tray on the ground!" Lee says, laughing with his whole body, tears springing from his eyes as he sags even further against the wall.

They're sat on the floor because there's only one chair, and they've been drinking for as many hours as Lee has been there.

It does something to John, seeing Lee as relaxed and carefree as he is now, overflowing with light and happiness. He'd only seen him like that when they had sped on his balloon that first day they met. He'd been flushed in the face back then, too, from the wind. Now, it's just the joy and the steady sips of alcohol.

"Lyra's lucky to have you," John says, and he wanders if Lee can see the fondness in his eyes.

The comment makes Lee sit up a bit, his smile turning into something more closed mouth, but still there. "I'm lucky to have her. Brightest kid you ever seen, she is."

"Her and Will, both," he says, smiling. He looks at his cupful of mead and taps slowly on it, before looking back at Lee. "You make a great dad, you know."

Something shifts in Lee's expression again and he swallows. He absentmindedly runs his fingers through Hester's fur, giving her a good pet on the head. She closes her eyes, looking as pleased as can be. But instead of moving closer to Lee, she shifts just a bit closer to Sayan, who's sat right beside her.

"I know I'm not her dad, but if she wants me to…"

"Course she does. Who wouldn’t?"

And Lee looks up at him, a crooked smile on his face and his eyes a bit shinier than usual.

Something tugs at John's heart, and he sees in the corner of his eyes that Hester has hopped even closer to Sayan. And his daemon has shamelessly lifted her head to make space for Hester under her wing.

Lee is watching them, too, so he sees – and feels, more like – when Hester tucks her head on Sayan's breast, and Sayan nuzzles against her, crooning.

It's hard not to gasp at the sensation, but John closes his eyes for a moment and savors it. When he opens his eyes again, Lee is looking right at him.

He feels his heart racing like it hadn’t since he was a boy, and he can't help it when his eyes dart towards Lee's lips. When he looks up once more, their eyes meet and right after, Lee is the one staring at his mouth.

Oh. Are they gonna-

And then Lee's lips are on his.

They're soft and warm, and John can't believe this is actually happening.

John leans closer, leaving his cup forgotten on the floor, and raises his hand to Lee's neck, pulling him forward. His lips part slightly, and he can hear a moan that could have come from either of them. Lee's tongue feels hot against him and it tastes like sweet mead, so John opens his mouth and tilts his head so he can chase the taste of it with his tongue. He lets his other hand cradle Lee's face, and his thumb caresses at his jaw.

He hears thumps and wings flapping and he sees Hester burying her soft, round face into Sayan's feathers while Sayan nuzzles her face up and down Hester's spine. John can feel his very soul basking in the light of Lee's own. It's intoxicating.

They pull away for a moment, and Lee rests their foreheads together. They stay there, breathing each other's air for just a second, John's hands still wrapped around his neck. And then Lee's hand comes up to mirror his, pulling him in again, mouths meeting half open and eager.

John moves without really thinking. He closes the space between them entirely and climbs onto Lee's lap, a knee to either side of him. It earns him a soft moan of encouragement, and Lee pulls him down closer, shifting to sit more upright against the wall so he can reach John's mouth more easily. Their kiss deepens and Lee captures his bottom lip into his mouth, sucking on it before letting his tongue find John's again.

"You… I- do you…" Lee says, and his words are spoken right against John's lips.

John hums, but he's not sure he's processing much of anything right now. Lee's hands bunch up in his shirt and tug softly upwards. It's enough of a question for John to exhale sharply, nodding, but he pulls back for a bit and looks at his tiny, tiny cot. Calling it a bed would be too generous.

"I'll- let me just-" he kisses Lee again and reluctantly gets up, shifting uncomfortably as he does so.

Hester and Sayan haven't spared him more than a glance, still nuzzling against each other despite their humans having parted.

It's very difficult to focus on the task at hand when his very soul is at the receiving end of such relentless affection. It makes his head dizzy with it. But he fights through the haze and finds the bed roll he had improvised from earlier that afternoon. He stretches it on the floor, and then pulls the contents of his own bed and spreads it out right next to the first one. It's not the most comfortable sleeping arrangement in the world, and part of him feels inadequate that this is all he has to offer. But then, he sees Lee making his way over to him and all he can think about is how fast his heart is beating, and how much he wants them to go back to kissing each other.

He places his hands on Lee's face when he's in reach and notices how Lee's eyes shift over to the side. He frowns.

"Hey, everything ok?"

Lee nods and they're so close together that John feels the nod against his forehead.

"Just- didn't think you…"

John waits but moves his thumb absentmindedly over Lee's jaw.

"Didn't think you'd want me."

Hearing it tugs painfully at his heart, and he hears Sayan chirping noisily as she buries her face even more in Hester's fur.

"I've been to many worlds," he starts and pulls back so that he can properly look Lee in the eyes. "And I've met many people, but none with a heart like yours. It's like staring into the sun, how could I not want that?"

Lee exhales and his eyes are glossy again.

After a while, he nods and puts his hand on John's neck, caressing the nape of it. "I- I want this," he says, looking at John, but also at the cabin, at Sayan. "I want- I want you."

The words sound foreign in his mouth, and John wonders how many times Lee has ever asked for anything. How many times he must not have gotten it before he decided to never ask again.

"Seems like we are in alignment, Mr. Scoresby," he says, and it draws a laugh out of Lee.

Oh, this fond feeling in his heart. He could get used to this.

He leans in again, and presses a softer, more chaste kiss against Lee's lips, but Lee opens his mouth and pulls him closer. They tumble onto the makeshift bed, John covering Lee's body with his own and Lee's arms wrapped around his neck. Their legs get tangled, and it starts to feel like there's way too much fabric between them.

Next to them, Sayan has fashioned a nest out of one of the blankets, and Hester is laid out in it, her paws up in the air as Sayan nestles against her, her wings creating a protective cage around the two of them.

They only fall asleep hours later, spent and sated. Lee curled around Hester and Sayan, still in their nest, and John plastered to his back, his arms wrapped loosely around his waist. It's the best sleep he's gotten in years.

–

Sayan is not paying John any mind. She's perched on top of the chair while John cooks, staring at their sleeping lovers, all curled up in blankets, Hester snuggled up to Lee's chest.

"They look good, there," she says, and John smiles.

"In our bed?"

She hums, her eyes full of fondness.

"Not much of a bed though, is it?" she says a bit later, nipping at him with her beak.

"We'll get something better."

"Maybe a couple of chairs, too?"

He huffs. "Whatever Lee wants."

It's hard to see it when a bird is smiling, but John can feel her contentment through their bond.

He's almost done with the sandwiches when he hears the shuffling. When he looks over his shoulder, he can see Lee's just started to shift awake. He smiles. The sight of him there, wearing John's shirt, looking all sleep tousled and pliant- it does something to his insides.

Then, John hears a flap of wings and Sayan is landing right by Hester's side, nudging her further into wakefulness.

"Morning, sleepyhead," she says, poking at her with her beak.

Hester grumbles and hides her face in Sayan's feathers. "Saaayaaan," she whines softly.

Lee sits up and he still looks half asleep. His hand absentmindedly finds Hester's fur and he runs his fingers through it a couple of times. He yelps at the exact moment that John feels a vivid, blinding touch into his very soul. Ah.

"Sorry," Lee says, sitting the rest of the way up and rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.

John looks at the three of them, feels a smile tug at the corner of his mouth and says, "You can touch her if you want."

Lee's eyes snap to him, and now he's definitely awake. They stare at each other for a full, silent minute, until Lee speaks again.

"Are you sure-"

"Just if you want."

Their intense eye contact breaks only when Lee looks back at Sayan, who's sitting right next to him, Hester the only thing between them. He raises his hand slowly, as if afraid he might burn at the contact, but Sayan arches her neck toward him, completely open to meeting him halfway.

The tips of his fingers brush the feathers of her crown in something that can barely be called a touch, but John can't help the breath that gets caught in his throat.

Lee flicks his eyes back to him, worried, but John just nods through half-lidded eyes because he wants more of it.

More emboldened by the lack of any catastrophe, Lee hovers his fingers closer and then lets them sink into the soft feathers of Sayan's breast.

John feels his eyes roll into the back of his head, and has to grip the counter hard because his legs are turning into water. The loop of pleasure that slugs its way through his body is unlike anything he'd ever experienced; he's never let anyone touch Sayan before.

He doesn't quite know if he's still standing up, and when the touch finally eases, he's leaning his whole body against the wall, breathing hard.

Lee's looking at him with a mesmerized, boyish look on his face. "You ok?"

John nods, but it's hard to open his mouth to speak. He sees that the sandwich he'd been working on is now burned beyond salvation.

"Maybe- maybe we try this when I'm not holding a knife in front of a hot burner."

Lee smiles, huffing through his nose, looking as careless as John had ever seen him.

He can't help but cross the few steps between them, kneel in front of him and take his face between his hands. "Morning," he says and kisses him.

They eat their fill of bacon sandwiches, and they dance around the fact that it's already way past lunchtime and they both know that Lee isn't going anywhere.

It takes days for either of them to admit that maybe they should look into a proper mattress. Neither of them wants to be the one to acknowledge that this might be something that requires long term provisions. But when John sees Lee rubbing at his neck for the fourth time that week and he remembers how difficult it is for the man to ask for anything, he decides to bite the bullet.

They commandeer Lee's balloon, flying on the wings of John's currents, and go into the nearby city. It's odd to be able to show both their faces in public without having to worry about Magisterium guards hunting them down, but it's just one of many changes that John's eager to get used to.

They buy a mattress, and Sayan nips at him until he agrees to purchase one of the carpenter's ready-made chairs and table set. Hauling it all back to the balloon is not fun for anybody, but the smile on Lee's face once they dine at the table for the first time, and then sleep on the soft, cozy mattress- it's all worth it.

Time passes, neither of them mention how long Lee's been there, and they start a garden. Lee trades the things they grow and visits the town every other week, coming back with fresh meats, delicious bread and sometimes, even a ready-made meal. They build a routine filled with quiet reading, long, shared baths, and nights that stretch into dawn when they're feeling particularly eager.

It's the downtime of a lifetime, and Lee jokes about it when they're sat on the porch, drinking their morning coffee.

"Two tired, old men. Look at us."

John snorts and bumps their shoulders together. "Speak for yourself, I'm still quite athletic."

Lee laughs and looks at him with those soft, crinkled eyes. He steals a peck from his lips, but John pulls him in until they can taste the coffee in each other's tongue. It's too early for this, but they've got nowhere to be. They've wasted whole days in bed before and John doesn't mind the sound of that at all.

"Ok, yeah. I guess you are," Lee agrees, and Hester nips at Sayan's cheek, making her croon with affection.

They sit in silence after that, enjoying their coffee and looking out into the field, their shoulders still touching and their daemons sitting side by side, feeding off of each other's warmth.

When John's coffee is done, he places his cup on the stairs and looks ahead, lacing his fingers together and resting his arms on his knees.

"I wouldn't mind that, you know."

Lee looks at him. "Hm? Mind what?"

"Old men. The two of us. I wouldn't mind that."

Hester makes a whimpering sound, and Lee's eyes start glossing over.

"Sometimes I think you just say things to make me cry."

"I think you should let yourself cry more often," John says, hooking their pinkies together while Sayan bumps her head against Hester.

Lee huffs, but he leans closer to John and places their linked hands on his knee.

"At least it's happy tears, with you," he says, and John kisses the closest part of him he can reach.

After a minute of silence, Lee speaks again, and it's quiet, but John hears it loud and clear.

"I wouldn't mind it either."


	2. Chapter 2

The seasons have turned, and the cicadas have been chirping loudly every day.

Lee doesn’t mind the weather much, since it reminds him a lot of the Texan heat, but today is particularly scorching. And John has decided to lazy about in the bathtub for way longer than his morning bath calls for.

So Lee putters around the cabin – _their_ cabin, now, really – and works on the wall he's been fortifying for the last month. He's told John in no uncertain terms that he refuses to face another winter in a cabin that doesn't even pretend to have insulation.

John had laughed at him – he does that a lot, now – and said, "Warms my heart how easily you ask things of me, now."

Lee had very much not gone teary-eyed from hearing it. Not at all.

They had already done all the other walls in the house; they'd even expanded the place so that it wasn’t as crowded for two people. The walls to the right had been pushed a few yards away, and their bed was placed into the new space, with a curtain dividing it from the main room. He supposes that means they have a bedroom, now – and the bed is proper and everything, a wooden frame that they had built, and thoroughly tested, together.

There is a small space to the back of the house, a den of sorts that John had asked for. Lee had thought he wanted to make himself a study, since his books and artifacts lived all over the cabin like overgrown vines. But no. The den remained empty, save for a couple of shelves holding some trinkets that might have been children's toys, and a bedroll that sat in the corner, untouched.

John didn't mention the significance of it, but Lee knew him well enough that he understood.

And so he works on the last wall, patching up all of the spaces between the wooden planks, sweat running down his back. He startles when Hester hops up and around his legs, her ears perked up in alarm.

"Lee, I think someone-"

And there's a knock on their door.

Lee stops, frozen, and looks at it. His hand tightens on the trowel he's holding and for a moment he thinks the Magisterium will be on the other side of that door. It's been months now, since the war ended, but still hasn’t left him properly. He looks around and realizes for the first time that he hasn't seen his gun since he'd arrived here, months before.

Holding the trowel in his hand like he might brandish it as a weapon, he slowly walks to the door, trying not to upset the creaking wood beneath his feet. He peers through the cracks on the door, angling his body away from it, and makes a quick note to leave at least one of the cracks unsealed for the future. He doesn’t expect what he sees on the other side.

"Will?"

He pulls the door open, shocked at seeing John's boy standing right in front of him.

"Will! How did you get here, my boy!"

"Mr. Scoresby?" Will asks, and he's frowning as he looks him up and down. "I- I thought- Is my father…?"

"Oh, no, yes. Yes, he's here- he's- I-" he drops the trowel off to the side and wipes his hands on his jeans, holding one hand out to Will. "Please, please, come in. Ahm- just- ah- John!" he calls out as he leads Will into the cabin.

"Yes, love?" John calls out from the bathroom, and Lee can hear Hester's groan as she hides her face between her tiny, fluffy paws.

He can't help but mimic her, bringing a hand to his face, and feeling the burn on his cheeks. "We have guests!" he tells him and hopes it's enough information for John to get out of the bathtub and show up properly dressed.

He waits until the mortification dials down even a smidge, between turning back around to face Will.

"Ahm… do you… you want some tea? Err- there's- I can make you some food. I bet you've travelled a long way."

Will's staring at him, and glancing over in the direction of the bathroom, back and forth.

"Food. Food would be good, please," Will says, sitting in one of the chairs – they have three chairs, now. He places his knapsack off to the side and sits stiffly, his hands on his knees.

Lee busies himself with making him a sandwich, and it is going to be the best goddamned sandwich Lee has ever made in his entire life. Hopefully, it will also be the longest he's ever taken to make a sandwich, because he really needs John to walk into the room right about now.

"I… dad said- he… he gave a map to this place. Said I could come by if I wanted to," Will says, and Lee looks up at him, frowning.

Oh. Does he think he's intruding?

"Your dad will be over the moon that you're here. You're all he ever talks about," he says. And it's not entirely true, of course. John and he talk about many a thing, but Will and Lyra are constant topics of conversation between them.

"What's that about guests-" John says as he enters the room, hair still very damp. Thankfully, he's wearing trousers and a loose shirt. "Will."

Will stands up, as rigid as he had been sitting, looks at John, at Lee and then back. "Dad, I-"

John walks the few steps between them and envelops the boy into a hug. "I'm so glad you're here," he says, and it's so soft, but Lee can still hear him.

They eat quietly, the three of them, and Will doesn't ask what Lee's doing there, but he stares between them every once in a while.

He's brought many things from Jordan, books and food alike, and after lunch they sit on the makeshift couch that Lee had put together a few weeks ago, and look through all of it.

At one point, Will rubs at his neck and looks up at Lee. "Ah- if I had known you'd be here… Lyra would have wanted to send you things. A letter, at least."

Lee smiles, touched that he would even think of him, and nods. "I'm sure you can bring it next time," he says. He'd meant it as a reassurance that Will was welcomed back whenever he wanted, but he doesn't think about the implications of his words until they're out of his mouth. Hester hides her face even further into the cushions beneath her.

When night comes, there's an awkward dance after dinner. Lee waits until Will's gone off to take a bath before he sighs heavily into John's shoulder.

"I feel like a teenager, caught by the headmistress doing something naughty," he mumbles against his skin, as Hester burrows her face into Sayan's neck. Sayan readily envelopes her in her wings, much as John envelopes Lee in his arms.

"He'll figure it out. He's a smart kid." John says, and Lee can hear the smile in his voice.

But it still feels like Lee is intruding, somehow. And he steps away a bit, clearing his throat. "I, ah- I could go into the city for tonight. Or for while Will's here. It's the first time you've seen him in months… I don't want to make it more difficult."

John frowns and shakes his head. "No. Never. I'll take him out fishing tomorrow, just the two of us. Sayan can wow him with her tricks, make a show out of it. But I'm not kicking you out of my bed – _our_ bed – or out of _our_ house."

Lee feels his eyes sting at that and gives him a small smile.

That night, John rolls out the bedding in the den, adds several extra padded cushions to it, and Will sleeps there for the first time.

When they retire to their bedroom, Lee is almost tiptoeing around, but John pulls him into his arms, and makes love to him much as he does every night. Except this time, they're as quiet as can be, moans drowned into kisses and bitten into skin.

When John holds him afterwards, running fingers through his hair, he kisses him atop his head and says, "He'll get used to it. Don't worry."

And the rest of Will's stay is not as stilted as the first day. He never asks them what's behind the curtain, even if he'll sometimes look at it, and he doesn't ask how or why Lee is here.

He spends a few weeks with them, learning how to fish, working on their garden, and even co-piloting Lee's balloon when they do a city run.

When he packs up to leave, he hugs his dad freely and gives Lee an awkward, half-hug, half-handshake. Lee offers to take him into town and save him half the trip, and when they land, Will looks at him and says, "I can bring Lyra next time. She'll want to see you."

It pulls at his heart strings that Will understands Lee will still be there when he returns. It pulls at his heartstrings even more that Lyra might come to visit them, too. "I would like nothing more. You tell her I miss her, alright? Give her the sweets I got for her, and don't you eat all of them yourself!"

It earns him one of Will's closed-mouth, sincere smiles. And he nods before heading to the shipyard.

–

"You're a good dad," he tells John, a long time after Will had left.

Their room has a door, now. So does the den.

"I've only started being one," John murmurs against his chest. He's lying on top of him, boneless and exhausted, while Lee runs his fingers through his hair.

"Well, you're doing a far better job than many."

It takes months for Lee to fully open up about his childhood. Part of it is just that it's hard to talk about, but part of it is that John is already struggling with being a good father – he doesn't need to hear stories about the monsters that are out there.

But he does tell him, eventually.

It's small little comments, here and there. Almost as if he's testing the waters to see how John will react. Until one day, loosed by wine and a miserably cold night, it all comes out in a stream of conscious, Lee staring at the wall and letting his mouth shape sounds without controlling any of it.

"He… he broke my leg once, so I couldn't run away. Don't think he even meant to."

And he cries angry, silent tears for the boy that he was. And he cries even harder when his head is cradled against a warm chest. And it's not Hester who comforts him this time, telling him he did good by speaking of it – it's John's warmth around him, kissing the top of his head, soothing him with words that rock Lee to sleep.

"You didn't deserve that," John whispers to him. "Not you, never."

When Lee wakes up in the morning, he has a headache, his eyes are puffy and his nose hurts. But John brings him breakfast in bed and kisses the side of his head, and Sayan lays on his lap and lets him run his fingers through her feathers.

And nothing's really changed, but it feels like everything has.

–

They finish fixing up most of the plans they had for the house, including a proper bed for Will to sleep on when he visits.

As they rearrange all the artifacts, trinkets, books and tools into a newly built study, John finds Lee's mother's ring, tucked safely away in a drawer.

"I suppose I don't need to summon you, anymore." John says, and there's something heavy in his voice, even if he's got a jovial expression on his face.

Lee smiles back and walks up to him, eyeing the ring he'd first reconnected with almost two years ago, now. "You should keep it," he says, and John looks up at him. "Maybe keep it on your person," he clears his throat. "You know, just in case."

It's not often Lee sees John's eyes grow glossy like that, he'd seen it once before, near when the war had ended. Another time when Lee had told him about his father. Those had hurt, then. It makes him smile, now.

"Like this, then?" John asks, sliding the ring into his left ring finger; it fits among his tattoos as if it had always been there.

Lee's smile widens and he takes John's hand and kisses it.

"Never seen anythin' more perfect."

Later that night, when they go to bed, Hester hops up to John and flops to her side right by his hand, staring at him with her large, beautiful brown eyes.

John glances at Lee and Lee just smiles at him and waits.

Hester sniffs at John's hand, carefully getting closer and closer until she burrows her face against his skin much as she does every day with Sayan's feathers.

It draws a startled gasp and subsequent sigh from Lee and John both.

They sleep in each other's arms that night but with their girls right between them, piled on John's chest.

–

They've kept in touch through letters, so it isn't a surprise when, months after he had left, Will returns to the cabin. This time, he has Lyra in tow.

Lee welcomes her with open arms, spinning her around despite the mud that's puddled around the front door. Will greets him with the same awkward half-hug, half-handshake as last time, but Lee thinks it's a good sign.

"My boy," John says, pulling Will into his arms and ruffling his hair while he kisses it. "Come, go put your things in your room. We'll get Lyra settled in," he nods towards the den.

Lee smiles to himself at hearing that John's calling the den what it is, Will's room.

"Ms. Silvertongue, an honor as always," John says exaggeratedly, bowing down to kiss her hand.

She grins at him. "Mr. Jopari! Thank you for having me."

"Of course, my dear. Our house is yours," he says, gesturing to the front door.

They show her to the study, where they had rearranged everything to give her ample space and her own comfortable cot. Lee knows that Lyra won't fuss with anything, she'd sleep standing up if she had to, but he won't lie that he's already thinking about adding yet another room to the house.

 _Let's see how this visit goes first, Lee_ , Hester had told him.

They don't bother with policing what they say much, this time around. _Our_ house, _our_ garden, "What's that door, there?" "Our room." And the kids seem to take it in stride.

Lyra, for her part, has none of the tact that Will has. So when John and Will are outside, wrapping the garden up to protect it from the upcoming rain, Lyra just comes out with it, brash as she is with everything.

"Lee, how come you're living with Will's dad?"

Pan is plopped on the kitchen table, and he's staring at Hester with large, curious eyes. She backs away and trips on one of Lee's feet.

"Well, ahm," Lee starts, clearing his throat. He finishes pouring hot water over Lyra's tea and grabs his mug of coffee before joining her at the kitchen table.

"I thought you lived in your balloon."

That startles a laugh out of him. "I never actually lived in my balloon, Lyra. I'd stay in the towns where I landed, you know."

She hums, swings her legs under the table for a bit and blows on her tea, trying to make it cool faster. Pan comes closer to her and sniffs at her cup curiously.

After a moment, Lyra props her head on one of her hands and nods. "Right, then. How come you're here, and not in the city? Will said you were here before, too."

Hester shifts uncomfortably on Lee's lap and looks up at him, before looking at Lyra, and then away.

"Ahm… that is… we…"

"Did he become your best friend? Because of the war?"

Lee inclines his head. "Yes, I suppose so. He is my best friend."

"Just like me and Will," she says, giving him a smile.

 _Oh. I hope not_ , he thinks. He's not for that, yet.

Just then, the backdoor opens, and Lee turns around to see both John and Will with droplets all over their skin.

"Well, we got the covers just in time," John announces, shaking water from his hair. "Where were we keeping the extra towels, again?" he asks as he toes off his boots and leaves his soaked socks with them.

Lee huffs, amused. "The trunk in Will's room."

"Thanks, love." John says, coming into the kitchen area just long enough to place a kiss on top of Lee's head. "Will, come. Better change out of these, or we're both gonna get sick."

The two of them shuffle out of the main room and disappear off in the direction of the den. Lee is still smiling when he turns back to Lyra.

She is watching him with her sharp, knowing eyes.

"Lee?" she asks, dragging his name out, just as Pan inches closer, eyes narrowed. "Are you Will's step-dad?"

Lee splutters around his coffee and Hester pats at his chest, but he still almost chokes.

When he calms down, drinks another gulp of coffee that goes down the right way, Lyra narrows her eyes further.

"Well, are you?"

"I- well, I'm not- I mean, this is the second time Will's been here-"

"But you're… with his dad? Like parents are?"

He swallows and, _oh boy_ , does it feel increasingly hot in the kitchen.

"Yes, well- ah. His dad and I- yes."

She hums and backs off a bit, returning to her posture from before, head resting on the palm of her hand. "Is he nice to you?"

"Wha-"

"My mother and my father, they weren't very nice to each other, were they? Is he nice to you?"

He relaxes a little and smiles, glancing at where John had disappeared off to, earlier. "The nicest."

"Ok. Then I suppose, I'll allow it."

He barks a laugh at that, and she grins at him.

"Thanks, kid. I appreciate that."

At night, he tells John that Lyra's given them her blessing. And later that week, John says he's had a similar heart-to-heart with Will. Maybe not the same – the wounds surrounding Will's mother will always be there – but Will had said he wanted him to be happy.

So that's how they spend the almost two months with their kids, not hiding and not tiptoeing around it anymore.

They take them fishing, hunting and they sit around the fire at night, Lee and John take turns telling them stories about their travels. Lyra and Will love those the most, he thinks, because they are rapt with their attention, barely blinking as they hang onto each and every word.

The next time the kids visit, Lyra has her own room, too. The house is now double the size it had been when Lee had first seen it. The walls aren’t wooden planks, they have a large, comfortable couch with matching armchairs, a fireplace, and the kitchen table is bigger and comfortably sits four.

As Lee lies on their couch, John between his legs with his fingers running through Hester's fur, and Sayan almost dozing off because Lee's playing with John's hair- it's more than he'd ever thought he could have.

He wishes, sometimes, that he could travel back in time and meet himself as a kid, just so he could tell him that it'd be alright. It would take a while, but eventually, all the pain would be worth it.

He'd tell him that, one day, a man who loves him very much would come back from a city and he would have a beautiful metal ring that he would slide onto Lee's finger because Lee mattered.

He can still remember when it'd happened, and how much of a mess he'd been afterwards.

"Is that so I can summon you?" he had said, eyes crinkling.

And John could have run with the joke, but he hadn't. He had kissed Lee's hand and shaken his head. "No. It's so the whole world knows how much I love you."

The bluntness of it had taken the breath out of him, and Lee had kissed him soundly, pulled him to their bed, and they hadn't left it until morning.

 _Just hold on_ , he'd tell himself, because the best is coming.

And time passes, and the cabin stops being a cabin, stops being a house, and becomes, simply, _home_.

And after they get their fill of peace, after it feels like the war is just a memory, they pack up their bags and leave. Like the adventurers they are, they sail the skies in a balloon to explore, and learn, and help. But year after year they always return to welcome their children home and bask in the warmth of the family that they've made for themselves.

The world might make settled men of them, yet. But for now, they'll drink in all that it has to offer, knowing that whenever they want it, they have a place to rest.

**Author's Note:**

> I love Lee so so much. My heart just broke in a million pieces when I saw that scene of him with Marisa.  
> Maybe that's one of the things that drew me so much to this pairing (aside form the Lin/Andrew on screen chemistry lmao), that John sees himself as a failure of a father, and Lee has been massively failed as a son.  
> They just work so well together ;_; <3
> 
> Thank you so much for reading, and let me know what you think in the comments! <3


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